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2010 Shows

It’s been more than two months since Susan Powell, a wife and mother of two, vanished without a trace. Susan’s husband, Josh, is now a person of interest in the case but her family claims he refuses to cooperate with police. Dr. Phil speaks with the missing woman’s parents, Chuck and Judy. Learn what they have to say about what they conclude is odd behavior of their son-in-law and why they say they fear for their grandchildren. A Dr. Phil field producer travels to the camp area where Josh allegedly took his sons the night Susan disappeared. Don’t miss what she discovers! And, legal analyst Lisa Bloom weighs in on this case. Next, Ed Smart, whose daughter, Elizabeth, was kidnapped and found, knows what it’s like to be a person of interest. Hear his opinion about this case. Plus, a father whose daughter has been missing for 14 years shares is emotional story, the mistakes he thinks he’s made and his advice for Chuck and Judy. Go behind the headlines in this heartbreaking story.

July 2009 Susan Powell recorded a video in and wrote a secret will that included the statements "I want it documented that there is extreme turmoil in our marriage" and "If I die, it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one."

Dec 7 2009 Susan, Josh and their sons Charlie and Braden ages 4 and 2 were reported missing by family members after Susan did not show up at her job. The police broke into the home, fearing that they might be victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. They found no one inside but noticed two fans blowing on a wet spot on a carpet in the home. Her purse, cell phone, and car were all found at the home.Later that day, at about 5 pm, Josh Powell returned home with the two children and was taken to the police station for questioning. He claimed he had left Susan sleeping at home shortly after midnight on December 7, and had taken his boys on a camping trip to Simpson Springs Campground in western Utah.

Dec 8 2009 Josh rented a car at Salt Lake City International Airport, drove it for about 800 miles and returned it to the airport two days later. It was said that the police had Josh's vehicle and he had to rent a car.

Dec 18 2009 Josh Powell took his sons to Puyallup, Washington, to stay with his father, Steven Powell, for the holidays.

Dec 24 2009 Police considered Josh Powell to be a person of interest. in the investigation.

Jan 6 2009 Josh Powell returned with his brother Michael to pack the family’s belongings, indicating he was moving permanently to Washington.

Jan 2010 Josh Powell moved to Puyallup, Washington, where he occupied a home with his sons and father, Steve Powell.It was reported that he returned to his hometown of Puyallup after he had lost his job

Aug 2010 Police contacted a West Valley City woman, whose full name is redacted, after her phone number was discovered in Josh Powell's phone records.She told police she had a sexual relationship with Josh Powell after meeting him through a dating service about six or seven months before Susan Powell disappeared. The woman said she knew Josh Powell by the name John Staley, and she didn't know he was married. It wasn't until after she saw news coverage of the case that she discerned his true identity.

Aug 2011 Steve showed off some of Susan’s journals to reporters and read excerpts that he claimed showed she was emotionally unstable and capable of walking out on her family — a contention Steve and Josh had started offering reporters a year earlier. Susan Powell also wrote in her journal that she was afraid of her husband and worried he might kill her.When Steve showed off the journals it gave police enough probable cause to obtain a new search warrant for Steve’s Puyallup home, where Josh also was living. Besides the journals, police seized more computers and digital storage devices. That’s how West Valley City detectives found photographs Steve took of neighbor girls in various states of undress.FBI also uncovered child pornography on Powell’s computer during the police raid.

Steven Powell was said to have become romantically obsessed with Susan. He was alleged to have a long history of bizarre and inappropriate behavior. His ex-wife Terri Powell asserted in her 1992 divorce filing that Steve was addicted to pornography, that he had fantasized about marrying multiple wives, and he had exposed his children to sexual materials. These allegations were supported by their daughter Jennifer.

Sep 22 2011 Joshua Powell's father, Steven Powell, was arrested on charges of voyeurism after he was caught photographing his neighbors' children through their bathroom window. He was found guilty and served a two-year sentence in prison. He was released from prison in March 2014.

Sept. 28, 2011Chuck Cox (Susan Cox Powell's father) filed for custody of the children the day after Steve Powell was arrested. A Washington court eventually granted Cox temporary custody of the children. The court said that Josh would have to move out of his father's home if he wanted to regain custody of his children, so he rented a house in Graham, Washington. However, authorities later alleged that he had never actually moved into that house, that he merely made it appear that he had satisfied the court's instructions while he continued to reside at his father's home. Custody of the boys was awarded to Cox-Powell's parents. Powell was awarded supervised visitation rights.

Dec 2011 Dateline NBC aired an interview with Josh Powell, to mark the second anniversary of Susan's disappearance. Josh declared that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

Feb 5 2012 A social worker called 911 after bringing Braden and Charlie Powell to a supervised visit at their father's house in Graham, Washington. The woman, who was supposed to monitor the visit between Josh Powell and his children, said he grabbed the children and would not let her in the door. Soon thereafter, the house exploded, killing Josh and the two children. Local authorities treated the case as a double murder-suicide, saying that the act appeared to have been deliberate.

After a relatively brief investigation, officials confirmed that the explosion had been deliberately planned. The official cause of death for Josh and the two boys was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning, though the coroner also noted that both children had significant chopping injuries on the head and neck. A hatchet was recovered near Josh's body, indicating that he had attacked the boys with it before being overwhelmed by smoke and fumes. The fire investigation also found two five-gallon cans of gasoline on the premises, as well as evidence that gasoline had been spread throughout the house. Friends and relatives of Josh Powell told authorities that he had contacted them by email minutes before the incident to say "goodbye". Some of them, including his pastor, received instructions on finding his money and shutting off his utilities. Records also showed that Josh had withdrawn $7,000 from his bank account and had donated his children's toys and books to local charities the day before the incident.

Feb 11 2013 Approximately one year after the death of Josh and his sons, Josh left all of his belongings and his life insurance to his brother, Michael Powell, who later jumped to his death from a parking garage in Minnesota.He was interviewed numerous times last year after investigators determined he left his car at an Oregon junk yard weeks after Susan's disappearance — a fact police didn’t learn until nearly two years later. Officials said he offered evasive answers about why he got rid of the car and how he had used it in the weeks after her disappearance.

Utah authorities have since said they believe that Josh and Michael were accomplices in the murder of Susan Powell and that Josh's brother, Michael Powell, helped dispose of her body.

May 21 2013 West Valley City police announced that they had closed the active investigation into Susan Powell's disappearance. Shortly after, a hand-written will assumed to have been written by Susan was found in a safety deposit box. It contained the line: "If I die, it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one," and instructed the reader not to show her husband the will. A video also surfaced of Susan surveying her home and the destruction of some of her property. An excerpt: "And I had necklaces too, wherever those are [inaudible] got in a rage, as you can see, and broke this, there's studs and pearls and opals in there, broke those and threw all my DVDs and made a mess because he was angry at me about a year or two back," she said.

Hi. I just read that the police and members of crimstoppers had purchased the grave sites on either side of the boy's site to keep Josh Powell from being buried next to the boys. The article also stated that Josh Powell's family is looking at a site about 100 feet from the boy's site. I know that Dr. Phil has resources and would encourage him to purchase as many sites as possible, even the one 100 feet away. Also, if not purchase, somehow intervene as to block this burial so close to those precious boys. Thank you.

Now in our state they just reported that the famliy of josh powell are tring to get him bured next to or close to the angels he murdered.Why??Are they nuts do they really want the repercutions to it. I don't understand them. Is there any way we as people can do anything to stop them?? As a person who has been watching this unfold on tv it just makes me so upset that they would even consider putting him close to the angels he killed not to mention the murder of his wife. I hope the grand parents did not put his last name on there grave. Ihope it reads cox. This is a frustrating thing for me.

It seems obvious to me that the quickest easiest way to try to find out what happened to Susan is to immediately get a forensic psychologist to talk to the children - away from their father and before they start forgetting details - they must know something. I don't understand why this has not already been done, also why don't they arrest the husband on probable cause and give him a lie detector test?

Two things bothered me about this show:
1). What are Susan's parents waiting for? I'm disappointed at how non-assertive they seem to be. I think they both need to grow a backbone and start making their son-in-law' life a living hell. Hire a private investigator, rent billboards...turn the "media" screws on this guy! mAKE Don't just sit around waiting for the police or they could wind up like Jon Benet's parents!
2). I just can't stomach seeing Ed Smart AGAIN! He and his wife should have gone to jail right along side Elizabeth's abductor. They were the ones responsible for bringing that monster into their children's' lives and Elizabeth endured 9 months of rape because of it. I read that Mrs. Smart picked him up, in front of a Walmart, where he was wearing robes and spouting scripture. What kind of an idiot brings home a total stranger...to her husband & five kids...to a million dollar house w/o even deadbolt locks or an alarm system??? He could have been an escaped convict or a rapist or a murderer. Then Mr. Smart hires him, introduces him to the kids and gives him free run of the house for 5 hours. Those kids trusted their parents to make wise choices, that would keep them safe, and both parents failed miserably! They should, at the very least, have been charged with Felony Child Endangerment!

This is very sad- and Im soo sorry for Susans family- may they get answers and justice too- but its sadder still that this is an epidemic - Everyday in America someone is reported missing - everyday murderers get away with these crimes because laws are not working to protect the innocent ! My mom is missing - presumed murdered since 1984 - the last person to have seen her alive - her very abusive (ex) husband of 14 years - who told my sis and I to tell no1 of our moms disappearance- of course after an entire childhood of " DOM" estic violence, I ran to the police - this man has been allowed to have no comment all these years !!! I have at least 10 cases that personally touch my heart- there were lil girls that vanished in the 70's from Ct - my friend Juls was also from Ct-her sister Grace and her niece lil Gracie vanished in 1978, Then there is Billy, 31 who also vanished - Branson Perry or greg tilley or the MANY others that arent as fortunate to get all the publicity - but Im telling you right now - these missing people are loved by someone - missed by someone and they DESERVE the same ait time as the famous few that America hears about ! The stats differ but I believe there are at least 110,000 missing in America!!!

We, the family memebrs that are strong enough - fight soo hard to try to make a difference- to ease the sadness and pain - as sooo many lives are affected when you KNOW in your heart that your loved one is missing and you KNOW someone harmed them :{ because you will implode if we do nothing . None of us are ever the same.

~ "Billy's Law" ~ which Im proud to say I've supported from the beginning and testified at our capital for- will, some day very soon, help change all missing persons cases for the future - Just as Namus is helping ID Jane n John Does-by cross referencing missing persons cases, this is all the work of the heroes/ families in the midst of their suffering - trying to make sense of it all and fix a severely broken system - in the past- such as 1978 and 1984 police were not trained properly to deal with such cases and just forgetabout it IF your suspect had any friends that were cops, some dirty- that have all lawyered up - as in our moms case - But we fight to keep our loved ones presense out there and we fight to be thier voice and I wont stop until we, the good guys, win! ♥ ! And we are winning ♥ but we could use a lil help from people such as Dr Phil to help us get the word out - to help us get fliers of our loved ones out there to the public- because we KNOW someone knows something - our loved ones did not just evaporate they were taken from us!

I am so disgusted to have learned about this story when I first saw it on one of the news sites the day after Susan disappeared. I very rarely read the news stories but when I saw this on Yahoo, I was IMMEDIATELY DRAWN to it. I have not heard anything about it on either the local or national news channels because they OBVIOUSLY HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DISCUSS such as Tiger Woods having an affair. NOT ! Like really, who gives a shit. A MOTHER/woman missing SHOULD TAKE PRECEDENCE over the other GARBAGE! Anyway... why on earth would an idiot like Josh who doesn't EVEN KNOW WHAT HELL DAY IT IS, CLEAN A CARPET?! MAKES ZERO SENSE WHAT SO EVER! PERIOD! If a carpet is being cleaned, then there is a 90 % chance that a woman is responsible and she WOULD KNOW THAT TOMORROW IS MONDAY and her children are due to show up in Day Care. A mother WOULD NOT put a box fan on the floor knowing she has little children who can stick their precious little fingers in it . Would you? You can ask EVERY MALE CAMPER ON THE PLANET IF they would take their YOUNG children out at midnight on SUNDAY to go camping IN THE SNOW WITHOUT CAMPING GEAR when they are due at work the following Monday. I seriously doubt that ANYONE would disagree with any of the facts I stated here. As I stated in other posts, he most likely disposed of her body in the water depicted in the photos on the show. This is so sad indeed.

Have the authorities checked the body of water that is in the background of the photo which we saw on the show today?Look at that photo's that were shown on the show today.There is a body of water in the background of one of the photo's.Is there a body of water in the area?There is NO WAY IN HELL that a person who works Monday thru Friday would NOT KNOW THAT IT IS SUNDAY NIGHT!!!If you have a cell phone, have 2 children in day care or watch television, YOU KNOW THAT TOMORROW IS A WORK DAY !!!Do they have a computer?Have the authorities checked the computer communications to see if perhaps Susan was planning to "run away from her children?"Fans pointing to a carpet outside of a bathroom typically indicates someone is covering something up.Men NEVER GIVE A CRAP about ANY STAINS on the carpet.They would wait for the wiffey to clean it up IF THEY NOTICED AT ALL!Check the water around the home !PLEASE !TAKE THE SMALL CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE MURDERER OF THEIR MOTHER !